Borates

This is the Borate collection. These minerals gain their name from the borate oxoanion. For non-chemists, that's a boron atom with three oxygen atoms, with a charge of negative three.

Borates from Ted Rogers on Vimeo.

There you go- a chemical compound that's a staple for any janitor's closet. Borax also has a bunch of other uses; from mining, to biochemical experiments, to fire retardants. To your right, you can see the next exhibit, Sedimentary Structures.